August 2025 – According to recent market research, the specialty pulp & paper chemicals market reached an estimated USD 24.9 billion in 2025, and is forecasted to grow to USD 35.1 billion by 2035, representing a CAGR of approximately 3.5%. Functional additives—such as sizing agents, retention aids, and strength resins—are expected to account for 58% of the total market in 2025, with the packaging & board segment representing 61% of demand.
Key Drivers Behind Market Trends
The rapid rise in e-commerce packaging demand and growing consumer preference for sustainable, high-performance paper-based packaging continues to fuel the adoption of advanced paper chemicals. In particular:
- Eco-friendly and bio-based additives are gaining market share, aligning with global regulatory pressures and corporate sustainability goals.
- The Asia-Pacific region, led by China and India, remains a hotbed of growth due to accelerated industrialization, tissue consumption increase, and packaging upgrades.
Why It Matters for Your Mill
The expanding use of functional additives like AKD sizing agents enables packaging producers to deliver superior water resistance, printability, and operational reliability. Similarly, wet strength agents are critical in tissue and board grades to preserve integrity under moisture exposure.
Our internal analysis reveals:
- Packaging mills benefit most from optimized surface and internal sizing strategies.
- Tissue and towel producers see yield and formation improvements with high-performing wet strength additives.
Actionable Takeaways
Papermakers should consider the following to stay competitive:
✅ Embrace newer, bio-based or low-AOX sizing solutions for environmental compliance
✅ Evaluate advanced retention systems like CPAM + PolyDADMAC for cost and efficiency gains
✅ Collaborate with chemical suppliers for tailored dosing strategies by paper grade
Explore Our Solutions
Discover how Amazon Chemicals supports your production efficiency and product quality with top-tier paper additives:
- Browse our AKD Sizing Agent
- Learn about our full wet strength agent portfolio for paper resilience
As market demand shifts toward sustainable, high-performance solutions, investing in smart additive strategies is essential for digital-era papermaking.
